E.U. leader: Russia pushing Ukraine conflict toward 'the point of no return'

E.U. leader: Russia pushing Ukraine conflict toward &#039;the point of no return&#039;

(Image credit: Rob Stothard/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Union's executive arm, warned today that Russia's actions in the Ukraine conflict are moving toward "the point of no return."

Russia's operations along the Ukrainian border "are simply not the way responsible, proud nations should behave in the 21st century," Barroso said. He threatened imminent new sanctions, which are expected to be announced following today's summit meeting in Brussels. "We are ready to take very strong and clear measures, but we are keeping our doors open to a political solution," Barroso added.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko spoke at the conference, warning that while his country was still willing to work toward a political agreement, eastern Ukraine is now overrun with "thousands of foreign troops and hundreds of foreign tanks" which have moved in over the last week. There is "a very high risk not only for the peace and stability of Ukraine, but for the peace and stability of the whole of Europe," Poroshenko said.

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Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.